HARSHER THAN THE BARK

A/N: Hello wolfies! I literally can't believe how long it's been since I uploaded anything and I apologise profusely but life gets busy. I've been trying to write more of this story at any chance I get and I have written a couple more chapters that I will be uploading soon so if you you're still here then don't completely give up hope yet! Thank you so much to all those who are still interested in this story and actually read this chapter, however, I don't blame you if you don't because we all get impatient, right? Well, I hope you like it and feel free to review if you want to shout at me for taking so long or if you just want to leave a comment about the chapter.

Enjoy!

The four people in the operating room remained the same for a while. Stiles sat on the floor, constantly dozing off and then shaking himself awake again while Derek sat on a chair at the opposite wall, never taking his eyes off Scarlett while she stood next to Scott and held his hand with an expression that was neither blank nor entirely worrisome.

Scarlett knew that Scott would be up on his feet in no time but she couldn't chance not staying by his side until he did so. She had to be there when he woke up, as a sign that she would always be there for him more than anything else.

It was silent amongst them until they all heard the gasping sound that came from Scott as his eyes flew open and he sat up hastily with a groan of pain.

"I would take it easy for the next few hours." Dr Deaton said as he entered the room. Scott gave him a curious look before looking at his sister, who was still gripping his hand.

"How do you feel?" Scarlett asked with sympathy.

Scott gave her a soft smile and eased his hand out of hers. "I've felt worse." He told her, swinging his legs over the side of the steel table and jumping off. Stiles stood up groggily as well, stretching and cracking his back as he did so.

Stiles walked to Scott and gave him a good-hearted slap on the back. "Yeah buddy, take it in stride." Scott let out a small laugh before looking towards Derek who was in the midst of standing up.

"What happened to you?" Scott asked him, taking in the blood on his shirt.

"Argent's wife. She, uh, slashed my arm when I came looking for you." Derek answered as if it was nothing. Scarlett's eyes immediately darted to his arm and she was relieved to see that the wound had completely healed.

"Uh, thanks by the way." Scott said with a look of gratitude. Derek gave him a nod, silently telling him that it was no big deal.

"Well, with you back on your feet I think I'm going to lock this place up for the night." Deaton said, breaking the silence that had befallen them again. They all nodded, understanding that was his indirect way of saying hurry up and get the hell out of my clinic.

"Thanks again." Scarlett said to him as the four of them made their way out of the door. Deaton gave a small smile and nod in return but otherwise remained quiet.

Everyone piled into Stiles' jeep and after a short discussion, it was decided that Derek, Scarlett and Scott would be dropped off at the subway station with Derek and then Stiles would head home.

"I'm saying we need a better plan." Derek stressed as Scott and Scarlett followed him down the steps and into the subway car. "Because next time, one of us is going to be too hurt to heal." When he said that, they both threw a glance at Scarlett who glared back at them. She knew they were just worried about her but she didn't need them to be. She could handle herself perfectly fine without their help. Or, at least, she would be able to once she got far enough into her hunter training with Allison.

"I get it." Scott sighed, leaning against one of the poles while Derek sat on one of the seats and Scarlett sat across from him. "We can't save Jackson."

Scarlett gave a disapproving look. "Well we can't exactly kill him, either." As much as all the deaths, especially Mary's, that had been caused at the hand—well, claw—of Jackson, pained her, Scarlett knew it wasn't right to just kill him. He was being controlled by someone else. He didn't have a clue what was happening to him and she felt bad. Despite seemingly everything proving it was near impossible to save him, they would just have to find a way because they couldn't let him be killed. And as much of a dick as Jackson was, Scarlett refused to see him die, because of what she felt was right but also because of how heartbroken Lydia would be. This was the guy her best friend was in love with. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Derek, so she was positive Lydia would be in pieces if Jackson died. And she didn't deserve that. Not after everything.

"Look, I've seen a lot of things," Derek started, looking at them both with worry. "But I've never seen anything like this…and every full moon is just going to make him stronger."

"But how do we stop him?" Scott wondered out loud.

Derek shook his head and gave him a helpless look. "I don't know. I don't know if we can stop him."

"If we can't then why don't we just let the Argents handle it?" Scarlett asked. "I mean it is their profession after all." Wouldn't that be the logical answer? Of course, the probability of them trying to kill, rather than save, Jackson was pretty damn high. Although, it wasn't for certain. They were killers, sure, but they wanted to protect people more than anything and Jackson was just a kid, so if they could save him then they would.

"I'm the one who turned him." Derek countered, hanging his head. "It's all my fault."

"No, it's not." Scarlett protested immediately, making him look up and hold eye-contact with her. "You turned him, yeah, but you didn't turn him into…this."

"Scar's right. This isn't all on you." Scott agreed. "This happened to him because of something in his past, right?"

"That's a legend in a book. It's not that simple." Derek snapped.

"What do you mean?" Scott queried. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Why do you always assume I'm keeping something from you?" Scarlett pondered the question. She knew that Derek would never keep anything major a secret from her, they were stronger than that. Although, there had been the odd couple times where he chose to keep her in the dark but she firmly believed he always had a good reason for doing so.

"Because you always are keeping something from me!" Scott stressed his point.

"Yeah, well maybe I do it to protect you." Derek's eyes flashed to Scarlett and she knew that was meant for her more than it was for Scott. Why did he always feel the need to reinforce that? Did he honestly think she wasn't completely aware of the fact he would protect her at all costs, above anything else? Because she was well aware. She knew how much he loved her and she reciprocated the love. But that was just one of his insecurities (not that he had many, anyway) and she actually loved him more for it.

"Doesn't being a part of your pack mean no more secrets?" Derek sighed and stood up when Scott asked that.

"Go home, Scott. Sleep, heal. Make sure your friends are safe. 'Cause the full moon's coming. And by the way things are going, I've got a feeling it's going to be a rough one." He told him, dodging the question, making Scarlett raise a brow.

Despite the need Scott felt to stay and argue, the need to flop down on his bed and sleep the rest of the day away was stronger. So much so that he just nodded and looked to Scarlett. "You gonna come with me or…?" He left the question open-ended because he already knew her answer would be that she wanted to spend time with Derek. And he didn't blame her. They were a couple after all. As much as that thought freaked him out. He could accept it but he just couldn't understand it. His sister, so innocent and sweet…and then Derek, who Scott was convinced was a murderer for a substantial amount of time. They just didn't fit together in his mind but then again, who did these days anyway?

Scarlett looked at Derek who gave her a small shrug and then she looked back at Scott who was awaiting her answer. "Nah, it's cool. I'll just, see you later." She said with a small smile. Scott nodded knowingly, like he had already expected her answer, and turned to head out of the subway station. He was probably going to call Stiles to get him or something so Scarlett wasn't too worried about him.

When Scott was gone, Derek turned to look at Scarlett with a doubtful look. "You doing okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked with a brief smile, standing up so she was right in front of him.

"Someone you cared about died and you don't seem like-"

"An emotional wreck?" She snapped, cutting him off. "Because that was my goal. Thanks for noticing."

Derek rolled his eyes and moved his hand up to the side of her face so that she was looking up at him with big, doe eyes. "I just…I worry about you."

"I know," She replied softly, putting her hand on his arm and leaning into his touch. "And I love you for it but just trust me when I say that I'm fine."

"Okay. I believe you."

"Good." Scarlett said with the ghost of a smile on her lips, leaning up to kiss him. His lips were warm and inviting, like always, and Scarlett relished in the feeling of safety and love she got from being wrapped in his arms. Derek pulled her in closer, keeping one hand tangled in her hair and his other arm tightly around her waist, holding her to him so that their bodies were moulded together. It was strange how something as simple as a kiss was able to obliterate all the worries, anger and sadness that plagued both of them almost constantly. Maybe it was because they lost themselves in it, in each other. Everything else ceased to matter because the only thing that mattered in those moments was each other. Derek didn't need to stress over Scarlett's wellbeing because she was exactly where she needed to be…with him, where he could protect her, make sure no harm came to her, where she was safe. And, in turn, Scarlett didn't need to think about anything because, well, he was everything. And when she was with him, she felt reassured that nothing bad could happen because he was there and he was her rock and he kept her grounded, sane and she loved him.

As the kiss became more heated and needy, they ended up in a position where Derek was sitting and Scarlett was straddling his lap continuously running her fingers through his thick hair and pulling at it as she ravished his lips with hers before pulling back slightly so that their breaths still mingled when she spoke. "What did you mean by this full moon's gonna be rough?" She asked abruptly, catching him off guard. "I mean, it's not like things can actually get worse…can they?" She had her answer from the look he gave her and her face dropped. "Oh."

Derek sat up slightly, running his hands down her arms softly. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He reassured her.

"It's not me I'm worried about." Scarlett replied, letting herself fall against his chest and burying her face in his neck while her fingers played with his shirt mindlessly.

Knowing her all too well meant that Derek knew immediately if she wasn't worried for her own safety, she would be worried about his. That tended to be the case more often than not and although he found it ridiculous for her to waste her time stressing over his wellbeing, he appreciated it on some levels. That's just who she was, a caring person…but to know that she cared about him more than she cared about herself, well, it astounded him. And it also warmed his heart (of course, he wouldn't tell her that). "You also don't need to worry about me, Scar. You know I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, right?"

"But as your girlfriend, it's my job to worry about you." She paused. "Well that and I do it instinctively anyway because you, Mr Hale, have a knack for getting yourself all banged up and on the edge of death which, quite frankly, gives me mini heart attacks."

Derek gave a small laugh which is something only Scarlett could make him do. And it wasn't just that. Derek had accepted that Scarlett could probably make him do just about anything.

"Come on and I'll drop you off at home." Derek said, gently moving to push Scarlett off his lap.

"Or," Scarlett countered, giving a sly smile. "I could stay here."

Derek grinned. "Well that's an offer I can't refuse."

They kissed again passionately before Scarlett pulled back. "But no sex." She told him abruptly, making Derek look at her with a confused expression.

"Why not?" He didn't really care if they had sex tonight or not, as long as he got to hold her while they slept.

"I'm on my period." She said sheepishly. "I thought you would've like, sensed it or something."

"No, I haven't 'sensed' anything different but now that you mention it I do smell blood."

"Crap." Scarlett gave an embarrassed look.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Derek gave her a light peck. "It's not strong." Scarlett showed signs of relief, making him smile. "I'm actually kind of glad…" Scarlett raised a brow at that. "Just cause, I mean, we haven't really used…protection."

Scarlett gave a light laugh. "I've been on the pill since I was fifteen Der."

"Should I ask why?" Derek pondered, immediately getting thoughts that made him angry.

"Irregular periods." Scarlett answered simply. That was the truth but it wasn't like she didn't have sex when she was fifteen. In truth it was only a couple months after she turned fifteen that she had lost her virginity to Jackson. She had never seen sex as a big deal or something that was forbidden until she found 'the one.' In her eyes it was just one of those things in life that she might as well get over with sooner rather than later so that when she did find the one, which she definitely had, she would be a fucking goddess at sex, which she was.

"Good cause, uh, right now really would be the worst time for a baby." Derek said, half joking and half being serious.

"I agree. But if you want to play it even safer then we can always get condoms." Scarlett suggested.

"I think we're safe enough for now."

That night they slept peacefully in each other's arms. It was as if the whole supernatural world had melted away, along with all the danger and it was now just them. It was one of those rare moments that was pure bliss to the two. Moments like those were the ones that should be treasured, because in the dangerous world they lived in, they didn't know when their last moment together could be.

Scarlett woke up groggily, rubbing her tired eyes and stretching only to find that there was a space next to her that wasn't occupied by Derek like it had been last night. She frowned and rose to her feet to try and find her boyfriend, wondering why he wasn't beside her. She heard voices and followed the sound as they led her outside of the carriage they had been sleeping in. Her disappointment couldn't be hidden at what she saw.

"Morning princess." Erica drawled, making Scarlett groan.

"Oh God, this is exactly what I need first thing in the morning." She said sarcastically, glancing around at Derek, Isaac and Boyd before glaring at Erica for her comment.

Derek rolled his eyes at the girls and dropped the box he was holding, gaining everyone's attention. Before he opened it, he looked at Scarlett.

"Maybe you should go get changed." He said, giving a pointed look at her outfit which happened to only consist of one of his shirts that was oversized on her but still left very little to the imagination, which set Derek's teeth on edge as there were two other males in the room looking at his girlfriend. One of which he already knew, for a fact, had a thing for her.

Scarlett sighed but didn't protest. She wanted to know what was in the box but at the same time, she didn't want to make Derek uncomfortable, well, even more uncomfortable than he already was.

When Scarlett reappeared she was dressed in a simple but very cute, blue and white dress she had left at Derek's in the previous weeks just in case a situation like this occurred and she needed clothes. She had just caught the tail end of Erica saying she had her period last week, when she walked out.

"This one's for you." Derek said to Erica, holding up some metal headband contraption with sharp ass nails on it.

Scarlett let out a small laugh. "I'd hate to be you right now, honey." She said with a snarky tone, gaining a look from Erica. Scarlett's phone buzzed and she looked at it to see a text from Lydia aka the birthday girl.

Meet me at Allison's. We have a lot of dresses to go through. Xoxo

Scarlett smiled. She loved Lydia's birthday party. Every year they would spend hours picking out dresses, trying them on and doing each other's makeup and what not. The only thing different about this year would be Allison, which wasn't a bad thing at all. She wondered if the actual party would be different, with everyone thinking Lydia was crazy…would anyone even go? God, she hoped so. Lydia needed this. She needed some normality in her life right now.

I'll be there ASAP. Xoxo

When Scarlett looked up she saw Derek giving her an expectant look.

"I gotta go and meet Lydia and Allison. Would you mind giving me a lift?" She asked sweetly.

"Sure." He said before turning to his pack. "Don't touch anything." With that they headed out to Derek's car.

When they pulled up to Allison's house, Derek turned to look at Scarlett. "Are you sure you have to go to this tonight?"

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "It's Lydia's birthday, of course I have to go. And, it's not as if I haven't survived a full moon before. Nothing will happen to me, Derek. I promise."

"If anything happens, anything at all, you call me or yell or whatever and I will come for you." He was leaning in closer now, caressing the side of her face, looking into her big brown eyes with all the love he held for her.

"I love you." Scarlett murmured.

"I love you too." Derek said with real conviction before closing the gap between them and kissing her. Scarlett broke from the kiss and exited the car, only to stop after she took one step towards the house.

"Hey," she said, turning around and walking back to Derek's window. "I'm not the only one that is gonna be in potential danger tonight. Actually, I think you should be more worried for yourself than me." Derek rolled his eyes at her. "I'm serious, Derek. You don't know how dangerous your pack will get and I can't stand the thought of them, or anyone, hurting you. So promise me you will take every single precaution you can to keep yourself safe tonight." Derek nodded but that wasn't enough for Scarlett. "Promise me." She said, her tone pleading yet demanding.

"I promise, Scarlett."

"Good."

The girls spent a couple of hours helping Lydia decide which dress she should wear for each section of the night. Scarlett enjoyed it. The whole thing felt normal. It felt as if they were back to last year and everything wasn't so fucked up and people weren't being brutally murdered in their town. It was a small escape from reality but it wouldn't last long…these escapes never did.

Lydia had decided to pick out outfits for Scarlett and Allison as well which was a blessing for Scarlett as she hadn't had a chance to buy anything. The outfit Lydia had got for Scarlett consisted of a bandeau that twisted at the front, a short, chiffon, pink skater skirt and a pair of beautiful, brown, block heels. Scarlett loved it, much to Lydia's approval.

When the time came for actually getting ready, Lydia said that they were both welcome to come to her house to do so but Allison declined. Scarlett on the other hand wouldn't have had it any other way. So the two went to Lydia's to glam themselves up for the night.

"You look gorgeous Lyds." Scarlett complimented when she saw Lydia staring at herself in the mirror.

"I know." She said with a brief smile.

Scarlett's face dropped a little when she saw the brief flick of doubt in Lydia's eyes. "Tonight will be good Lydia. I promise."

Lydia nodded, Scarlett's words reassuring her slightly.

"I know people still think I'm out of my mind."

Scarlett shook her head, bringing Lydia into a warm embrace. "No, Lydia. They don't. I don't. So don't worry about it and enjoy your night. After all, this is the biggest party of the year. Tonight is the night to forget about all the shit you've been through and just have fun. Is Jackson coming?"

"He better be." Lydia sniffed, fixing herself.

If he was, this party wasn't going to end well. So many things could go wrong with Jackson being there. Scarlett hadn't even mentioned to Derek the possibility that Jackson might show up. If she had he would have chained her up with the rest of them. They all had to be on their guard tonight.

The doorbell rang, shaking Scarlett from her thoughts. Lydia's face lit up.

"Let's go host a party." Lydia said, the determination strong in her voice. The girls linked arms and walked out of Lydia's room and down the stairs. They opened the door only to reveal Allison. Lydia smiled tightly, she was obviously expecting more people. "Here, have some punch." Allison took the punch and walked outside to the pool and Scarlett followed.

"I thought people would be here by now." Allison said quietly, feeling bad for Lydia.

"It's still early." Scarlett replied, trying to be positive.

The doorbell went again and Lydia went to answer it. She was greeted with a giant box, covering the person carrying it. When Scarlett saw it was Stiles, she shook her head and laughed. He was so in love with Lydia it was crazy. Of course he would have to buy her the most extravagant thing he could find. She was kinda curious to know what it was so she left Allison to go and see.

Lydia walked away as Stiles struggled to get through the door so Scarlett went to help him out.

"How did you manage to wrap this?" She asked with a laugh when they finally got through the door.

"Patience and a lot of tape." Was his simple answer.

"Where's Scott?"

"He should be here soon. Where's Allison?"

"I think she's outside with everyone else-" Scarlett said before being cut off by Scott walking through the door.

"We should go outside then." He said, not stopping to talk.

Scarlett and Stiles both looked at each other and shrugged, following behind Scott.

"So get this," Stiles started, making Scarlett and Scott tune into what he was saying. "I think the kanima is going after the swim team. Specifically, the two thousand and six swim team."

Scarlett's brows furrowed together. "Why?"

"I was looking at a year book and everyone that's been murdered so far was in that swim team. And guess who the coach was." Stiles said.

"Who?" Scott asked.

"Isaac's dad."

"I guess that explains why the kanima went after him. But then what does the two thousand and six swim team have to do with whoever's controlling the kanima?" Scarlett wondered aloud.

"Well that's it. I don't know. He, or she, could've been another teacher at the time or a student with something against the team." Stiles answered, seeming just as stuck as everyone else.

They stopped at the punch table as they saw Allison coming up to them with a smile. "Jackson's not here." She told them.

"Yeah, no one's here." Stiles commented as he looked around at the completely dead 'party' which literally consisted of the four of them and Lydia, who was on the other side of the pool trying not to look so disappointed.

"Any ideas?" Scarlett asked.

"Yeah she wouldn't be the town whack-job if it wasn't for us." Allison said accusingly.

"I guess I could use my co-captain status to get the lacrosse team here." Scott said, taking out his phone.

Scarlett followed suit, "Yeah I can get the squad here too."

"I know some people that will really get this thing started." Stiles added.

Allison raised a brow. "Who?"

"I met them the other night and let's just say, they know how to party."

About fifteen minutes later, the whole cheer squad showed up closely followed by the lacrosse team. The party was getting into motion. The music was loud and people were enjoying themselves. When the doorbell went again, a new crowd of people showed up. Drag-queens, mostly. Those must've been Stiles' new friends.

After making her way around all the people, talking and generally mingling, Scarlett found Allison again and decided to stand with her.

"I did not expect this." Scarlett said with a laugh of relief at how well the party was turning out.

"Me either. I just felt so bad that no one was here because of us." Allison said just as Lydia showed up next to them and handed them both another cup of punch.

"Lyds this is my fourth cup and I'm starting to feel a little dizzy. What is in this?" Scarlett held the cup up, examining the cloudy, pink liquid.

"It's a secret. But it's so good, so drink as much as you want." Lydia said, giving them an encouraging and hopeful look. Scarlett and Allison looked at each other before taking a swig of the punch to satisfy Lydia.

"So, what's going on with you and Scott?" Scarlett asked, noticing the way Allison was staring at him and he was staring back but they were on opposite sides of the pool and not talking to each other.

"I thought he would apologise for snapping at me the other night." Scarlett nodded, wanting to hear what Allison had to say. "I mean, I'm not mad but I'm a little hurt that he won't say anything to me. Does that make me a brat?"

Scarlett let out a laugh. "Of course it doesn't make you a brat. It makes you human. He should definitely be the first apologise and I'll kick his ass if he doesn't…" Scarlett trailed off when she saw Jackson walking into the party. That wasn't good. "Jackson's here." She whispered causing Allison to look around and then look to Scott who was standing up and looking tense.

Jackson looked angry. But he always looked angry so that wasn't anything new. Lydia handed him a drink and he kind of disappeared into the throng of people, not seeming to be a threat…yet.

In the hour that followed Scarlett couldn't tell if a few more crowds of random people had actually shown up or if the punch was playing tricks on her. Either way the party seemed more wild. Teenagers were drunk everywhere, maybe not from the punch but from their own alcohol. Everyone was kissing each other and dancing embarrassingly. It seemed like an ordinary high school party, but Scarlett and the rest of their tight-knit group knew differently. It was the night of the full moon and Jackson, the kanima, was there which meant nothing could go normally.

Everyone kind of dispersed, going their own way. Scarlett's way led her to Taylor and the rest of the squad.

"Hey guys, enjoying the party?" She asked.

"Yeah," Taylor answered, seeming like she was in a daze. "It's really great and you're so pretty…" She said, touching Scarlett's face making Scarlett laugh awkwardly and push Taylor's hand away.

"How much has she had to drink?"

"The same as us." One of the other girl's replied in the same dazed state. Scarlett's brows furrowed as she eyed the punch they were all holding. There was definitely something strong in it.

"Maybe lay off the punch for a while." Scarlett said, leaving the group to find Scott. While she was walking some random guy came up to her and tried to kiss her. She was taken aback to say the least. She pushed his face away with disgust, wondering what the hell was going on with these people. "Ew, no." She began looking for Scott more frantically, finding herself spinning in circles trying to find him.

When she stopped she was dazed, confused and panting, trying to shake off the terrible feeling she had. She looked up and froze when she saw Derek standing there, bloodied and beaten.

"Oh my God." She gasped, running forward to touch him. "What happened, are you okay?" She asked frantically.

Derek sneered at her, pushing her hands away. "Do I look okay to you?" Scarlett was confused, taking a step back. "You talk so much about wanting me to be safe but where were you when I was being attacked by my own pack? Oh that's right. You were here, with other guys, having a good time, like a whore."

"What? No. No…" Scarlett couldn't understand why he was saying this. What had happened? Why wasn't she there to help him?

"You're pathetic, baby. Always getting yourself into trouble and just assuming that someone will save you. That I'll save you. But, the truth is, I don't want to save you. You're not worth it. You're not worth risking my life. I'm sick and tired of coming to your rescue. I'd tell you to grow up and help yourself but you're just a kid. A kid who can't take care of herself. You are always going to need someone to be there to catch you. But it won't be me. I'm done with you. I never loved you- "

"No!" Scarlett swung for him, trying to get him to shut up but when she did, he was gone. She felt like she was coming out of a dream. A dream that felt very real. Real enough to elicit tears from her eyes that streamed down her face as she ran away from the crowds to find her brother.

"Scott! Scott!" she shouted, pushing past people until she crashed into her brother's arms. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing her tear-stained face.

"Yeah I'm fine, I just had some sort of weird daydream."

"You had one too?" Scott asked.

"I guess so…"

"We have to find Lydia." He said, grabbing her hand and dragging her through the crowds.

"Why?"

"Has anyone seen Lydia? Lydia!" But she was nowhere to be seen.

"What's going on, Scotty?"

"I don't know." He answered as they made their way to a comatose-looking Stiles. "Stiles, drink the water." Stiles didn't say anything. "Come on man, something's going on and I need you to sober up right now."

"Move." Scarlett said, pushing Scott out of the way, grabbing Stiles by the neck and dunking his head under the water of the small pool beside them. When he came back up he was definitely soberer.

"How do you feel?" Scott asked.

"Well I think I may have to revisit my policy on not hitting a girl." Scarlett rolled her eyes.

They split up and began looking for Lydia again but to no avail. Every person at the party looked like they had taken acid. It wasn't as if they were just drunk. Something was in that punch.

When Scarlett, Scott and Stiles met up again they expressed how they all had had no luck.

"Everyone who drank that crap is freaking out." Stiles said as they watched the surrounding teenagers do weird things and get thrown in the pool. Someone shouting that they couldn't swim pulled their attention towards the other side of the pool.

The three watched in realisation as Matt was thrown into the pool and then struggled shouting that he didn't know how to swim before he was pulled out by none other than Jackson, who had never in his life lent a hand to anyone besides himself, which made the three come to a pretty solid conclusion about who was controlling the kanima.

"Oh shit." Scarlett murmured.

"What're you looking at?" Matt asked violently as everyone stared at him. He walked past them, glaring at Scott who just stared after him, dumbfounded.

"Cops are here! Party's over!" The sound of sirens made everyone else, except for the three teens, scramble to leave.

They walked outside calmly while the rest of the partygoers screamed and ran. Scott and Scarlett looked around, trying to find Stiles, who had disappeared in all the commotion. As they were looking, their eyes settled on a rage filled Matt who was still soaking wet. That wasn't the terrifying part though. It was the fact that the kanima was crouching protectively in front of him that made their blood run cold and confirmed their fears.